The proposed project is the first step toward strategies to improve communication within families of early adolescents as a method to promote mental health in the family and community. The specific aims of the project are to test the hypotheses THAT PARENTS AND EARLY ADOLESCENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNICATION SKILLS TRAINING WILL DEMONSTRATE MORE SATISFACTION WITH THE FAMILY SYSTEM IN TERMS OF ADAPTABILITY AND COHESION, INCREASED PERCEPTIONS OF OPEN COMMUNICATION AND DECREASED PERCEPTIONS OF PROBLEM COMMUNICATION, AND GREATER SKILL IN COMMUNICATION, SPECIFICALLY ABILITY TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS THAN PARENTS AND EARLY ADOLESCENTS WHO ATTEND CURRENTLY EXISTING, ONGOING PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY OR NO PROGRAMS. The hypotheses are based upon Olson's Circumplex Model of Family Systems in which adaptability and cohesion are the basis of the family structure and communication is the facilitating factor to achieve satisfactory with the family system. The critical aspects of communication within this system are that is perceived as open and that conflicts can be resolved. The design of the study is a 3 group pretest posttest repeated measures design with one follow up observation 8 months after intake to the study. The 3 groups are: the intervention group in which parents AND EARLY ADOLESCENTS participate in communication skills training (n=134); the control group in which parents AND EARLY ADOLESCENTS do not participate in FAMILY programs EXISTING IN THE COMMUNITY (n=134); and the attention group in which parents ONLY OR PARENTS AND EARLY ADOLESCENTS participate in existing family programs in the community (n=134). THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ARE INFORMATION OR SUPPORT GROUPS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF PARENTING THE EARLY ADOLESCENT BUT ARE NOT COMMUNICATION SKILL BUILDING SESSIONS. Instruments include the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale III (FACES III) and parent and adolescent versions of the Parent Adolescent Communication Inventory (PACI). Approximately thirty percent of the families (n=123), chosen randomly from among the 3 study groups, will participate in a directly observed, videotaped, conflict resolution task. The interaction during this task will be coded and analyzed, using the Solving Problems in Family Interaction coding system, for verbal and nonverbal behavior representative of skill in problem solving and negotiation. The intervention is 6 sessions (2 1/2 hours each). didactic and experimental group strategies promote parental AND EARLY ADOLESCENT development of communication skills through the understanding and application of the principles of adolescent and adult growth and development, communication, self-esteem, and parenting styles. Sessions are led by master's prepared clinical nurse specialists in community mental health. To detect change in the groups on the dependent variables over time, the MANOVA/MANCOVA statistical procedures will be used. Results of the study will be used to develop community based information and support systems for families preparing to parent the adolescent.